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Viewing cable 09STATE118318, LRA: TALKING POINTS FOR NOVEMBER 17 UNSC

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
09STATE118318 2009-11-17 11:55 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED Secretary of State
VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHC #8318 3211200
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 171155Z NOV 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000
UNCLAS STATE 118318 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNSC AF
SUBJECT: LRA: TALKING POINTS FOR NOVEMBER 17 UNSC 
CONSULTATIONS 
 
1. (U) This is an action request.  USUN should draw from the 
points in paragraph 4 below for the Lord's Resistance Army 
(LRA) UN Security Council (UNSC) consultations on November 
17, with a goal of setting the scene for additional 
consultations about the upcoming renewal of the MONUC 
mandate. 
 
2. (U) Background: of the three UN missions operating in 
LRA-affected areas, the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) is the 
most affected by LRA actions. MONUC has troops deployed in 
LRA-affected areas in northeastern DRC and is authorized to 
provide limited support to the armed forces of the DRC 
(FARDC) in its operations against the LRA.  MONUC's mandate 
does not give it the explicit authority to support the 
Ugandan armed forces (UPDF), who are now carrying out the 
bulk of military activities against the LRA directly. 
 
3. (U) The small CAR-based presence of the UN Mission in CAR 
and Chad (MINURCAT) has a mandate to facilitate the delivery 
of humanitarian assistance and to protect humanitarian actors 
and UN personnel in eastern Chad and NE CAR.  The MINURCAT 
contingent is based hundreds of miles away from affected 
areas, and does not have the mandate to address this new 
threat. The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) is currently focused 
on assisting with mandated elections and would need more 
political direction to help address the LRA threat. The 
Darfur regions of Sudan and the UN-African Union Mission 
there (UNAMID), are currently not impacted by LRA activities 
and are hundreds of miles away from the affected areas. 
UNAMID faces challenges covering the vast area of Darfur and 
would require additional assets to counter the LRA. Direct 
action against the LRA by these missions would require a 
change in their mandates, although a strengthened role in 
civilian protection against the LRA is possible under 
currently mandates. We would suggest that the UNSC discuss at 
a minimum having more effective coordination and information 
sharing among the several UN peacekeeping missions regarding 
the LRA and its impact. 
 
Objectives: Support well-planned operations against LRA, 
which must establish the proactive protection of civilians as 
its number one priority, condition MONUC support for FARDC on 
its respect for human rights, recognize the UN's DDRRR work, 
encourage the UN to do more, especially regarding child 
soldier reintegration efforts, and investigate the 
possibility and practicality of a better-coordinated UN 
effort to protect civilians against LRA abuses. 
 
 
4. (U) Begin talking points: 
 
Support Plans against the LRA/ Ensure Intra-UN Information 
Sharing 
 
 
-- We remain seriously concerned with the LRA's continued 
presence in northeastern DRC and expansion into the Central 
African Republic and Southern Sudan, and the resulting 
attacks on the civilian population across the wider area. 
While we are encouraged by some positive trends, including 
the recent surrender of LRA's eastern commander Charles Arop, 
we must remain vigilant to make sure gains made against LRA 
are sustained. 
 
-- We understand that MONUC,s efforts mainly focus on 
information sharing on the FARDC and on protection of 
civilians in the area of operations. 
 
-- We support this information sharing and encourage MONUC 
and other peacekeeping missions to establish mechanisms to 
systematically and routinely share information, as it is 
critical to increase the protection of civilians. 
 
DDRRR/Child Soldier reintegration: 
-- The LRA,s tactic of using child soldiers remains one of 
the most horrific legacies of its reign of terror.  The 
efforts to coordinate child protection, and the return and 
reintegration of child soldiers, is necessary to help these 
young victims be able to create a normal life.  We wish to 
recognize the UN,s work on DDRRR, which is helping to 
coordinate repatriation of former combatants and abductees. 
 
-- An increased focus on LRA-affected areas should not take 
away resources from ongoing MONUC efforts in areas of eastern 
Congo. 
 
Explore the Merits of an Increased UN Effort: 
 
-- While we note the threat to regional stability posed by 
the LRA, we are acutely aware of the limitations of the tools 
the UN has to address this concern.  As we begin discussions 
of MONUC,s mandate, and think about the other UN actors in 
the region, we must take care not to ask the UN, especially 
MONUC, to do more without also providing it with the 
resources required.  We must also ensure that a 
coherent UN civilian protection strategy framework, which 
MONUC continues to develop, governs all activities. 
Furthermore, MONUC support for FARDC in LRA-affected areas 
must be rooted in the significant enhancement of information 
sharing by the FARDC with MONUC, so that MONUC--and other UN 
actors in the region--can be more able to take proactive 
steps to protect civilians amid operations against the LRA. 
 
-- In the renewal of UNMIS, mandate this year, the UNSC 
requested that UNMIS make full use of its mandate on 
protection with regard to the activities of the LRA.  As we 
debate the upcoming renewal of MONUC,s mandate, we would 
appreciate a report on the extent to which UNMIS has been 
able to make use of its civilian protection mandate. 
 
Questions: 
 
-- How can the UN increase its cross-mission coordination to 
address the threat the LRA poses to civilians in several 
countries? 
 
-- How can we ensure that an increase in resources for 
LRA-affected areas does not take away MONUC resources or harm 
MONUC resolve in areas of eastern Congo that are not affected 
by the LRA, namely in North and South Kivu provinces, where 
conflict involving other armed groups and militia continues 
to fuel a humanitarian and human rights crisis? 
 
-- How can we ensure that information sharing by the FARDC 
with MONUC and the UN in general can be improved to better 
enable MONUC to take proactive actions to protect civilians? 
 
End talking points. 
CLINTON